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We are so sad to inform our Harvest Family that we have
lost one of our special Alumni; Karyn (Bland) Day. She
went to Harvest K-12 and graduated from our school in
1995.
The family would appreciate your continued prayer
support. The Memorial service will be held for Karyn
Bland Day on Thursday, July 13, at 4pm at South Main
Baptist at the corner of Beltway 8 and Fairmont
Texas woman, 28, dies in 5-car wreck Sunday
Advocate staff report
Published: Jun 5, 2006
A Texas woman died in a five-car wreck about 7:30 a.m.
Sunday on Interstate 10 west of La. 415 in West Baton
Rouge Parish.
A Louisiana State Police news release provides these
details:
John Jones III, 25, of Mary Esther, Fla., was eastbound
in the left lane of I-10 when he lost control of the 2006
Pontiac G6 he was driving and ran off the highway.
The vehicle began to rotate as it crossed the median
into the westbound lanes, striking the left front corner
of a van and forcing it to hit a 1999 Ford U-haul truck.
Two vehicles — a 2001 Toyota Avalon driven by Patricia
Bland and a 1994 Mazda 626 driven by Darlene Richardson,
43, of Avondale — struck Jones’
vehicle.
Bland, 56, and one of her two passengers in the Toyota,
Terry Bland, 57, both of Pasadena, Texas, received medical
treatment at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center,
officials said. Patricia Bland was transported to the
hospital by helicopter.
The passenger in the rear seat, Karyn D. Day, 28, of
Pearland, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene by the
West Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.
The driver of the van, Vincent Crawford, 48, of Forest
Park, Ga., and three passengers received minor injuries,
but only two were taken to Baton Rouge General Mid-City
for treatment.
Richardson and her unidentified passenger in the Mazda
sustained moderate injuries and refused medical treatment
at the scene.
The driver of the U-Haul, Buford Hebert, 23, of Baton
Rouge, and his unidentified passenger, were uninjured.
Jones, who had moderate injuries and was taken to Baton
Rouge General Mid-City, is charged with careless
operation, negligent homicide and negligent injury. |
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Please pray for Virginia (Geena) Fields, Class of 2005.
She and and her sister Elizabeth and her daughter Skyler
fell 40 feet from a bridge after a car accident. Article
located
here. |
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My name is Stefanie Guerrero. I did
not graduate from HCA, but I attended my freshman year. I
just wanted to send an update. I recently graduated from
Houston Baptist University with a degree in Business
Administration/Management. I now live in Katy. Although I
didn't graduate there, the one year I spent there was the
most memorable. I hope everyone is doing well! |
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Hey my name is Jarred Bostick. I
went to this school way back in kindergarten. Now I'm in
in my junior year at Round Rock High School in Round Rock,
TX I am big follower of Christ. I have rededicated my life
to the Lord. After high school, I'm going to be a
Missionary and a Teacher's Aid. I miss this school sooo
much. GREAT memories! GOD BLESS! |
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I am Alexandra Negrete and I graduated in
the year 2000. Currently I attend Southwestern Assemblies
of God University in Waxahachie, Texas (Dallas area) and
in May 2006 I will finally graduate. I'm majoring in
Secondary Education specializing in Social Studies and
minoring in Biblical Theology. I have been a few times to
Harvest observing Mr. Von Dohlen in his history classes
for mandatory class observations. I will be doing my my
student teaching in a third world country- I would really
like El Salvodor-but most likely I will be placed in
Honduras. I will find out in September. I also attend The
Potters House with T.D Jakes and I am part of Revelations
Dance Ministry there. The sign language/dance class I took
at Harvest was a great influence! Well that is all for
now. I love Harvest and I rejoice seeing how God is
prospering our school. God bless you! |
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Kristi Garsee ('00) and Michael Bishop
('00) are both employed by the University of Texas in
Houston. |
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Lisa Hoffpauir ('00) and Elecia Varnell
('00) are both teaching in Pasadena I.S.D. |
 Sgt.
Jeff Rooke ('99) and his wife, Jessica, moved back to
California in July 2005. Jeff is advancing his military
vocation by taking an advanced language course at the
Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. He re-enlisted
in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. Their oldest son,
Eddie, is four years old and Caleb is two years old. (See
photos in the scrapbook) The newest addition to the
family, a boy, is due to arrive in late September. Jeff
enjoys driving his Chevy truck that is older than he is,
riding his motorcycle, playing Texas Hold 'Em over the
Internet with fake money, and playing golf. |
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My name is Wendy (Godwin) Holley and I
graduated in 1993. I have been married to my husband James
for 11 years and we have three beautiful children. Their
ages are 4, 3, &1. We own a storage facility in Pasadena
called Texas Hold'em Self-Storage and it is located on
Burke Road between Crenshaw and Genoa Red Bluff. We expect
to open our next location within the next 9 months on
Genoa Red Bluff near A&W & the Beltway. |
 Lori
Fourman Ferrer of the Class of ’98 sent us the following
email:
I married Erik Ferrer, an 8-year Marine veteran, on October 16, 2004.
We moved to the Houston Heights in February of 2005 and
now we are expecting our first child April 28, 2006. We
have submitted our lives to the Lord 110%, we obey his
every command, and we have given him glory and thanks for
the good and the bad that has come to our lives for it has
all made us stronger in him. I give him thanks for this
school that gave me such a wonderful foundation to keep my
life looking forward to that narrow path that so few will
enter unless they know what I learned in this school. God
bless you.
We praise God for blessing Lori’s life and that she shared
her good news with us. Please keep all our graduates in
your prayers. |
 PFC Leroy
Sandoval, Jr. USMC
4/28/82 - 03-26-04
Our heart goes out to the family of Leroy, HCA class of
2000. He is a casualty of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Please sign our memorial
guestbook to include your condolences to his family.
A "Leroy Sandoval, Jr. Memorial
Scholarship Fund" has been established at Harvest
Christian Academy in memory of our fallen hero. Leroy
loved Jesus. He loved his family, his country, the
Marine Corps, and his school. Donations to "Harvest
Christian Academy" and marked "Leroy Sandoval
Scholarship" in the memo line are tax deductible as HCA
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations will
be acknowledged by the school, and Leroy's family will
be notified of each gift. Checks may be mailed to
Harvest Christian Academy, 1117 South Main, Pasadena, TX
77506. Donations by credit card may be called in to the
school office at 713-472-7228. |
HCA graduate
Michael Gonzalez '96 is a Pitcher
for the Pittsburgh Pirates! You can read an article
about him
here. For his player stats and career highlights you
can go to the
Pirates Website.
We are very proud of you Michael and wish you the best
of luck this season! |
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PFC Gilbert Alba
Gilbert graduated from Harvest in
2002. He has expressed appreciation for the cards and
care packages he received when he was in Iraq earlier
this year. He is now stationed Stateside.
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CPL. JEFF ROOKE (’99), USMC, is reported
by his mother to be “on U.S. soil.” She called the school with a
whoop and a shout and announced that he would be in Texas later
this month. Jeff will be introduced in chapel or morning
assembly, and we look forward to hearing about his recent tour
of duty overseas. |
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Dustin Blanchard (’04) recently left for
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas for basic training
in the U.S. Air Force. (His address will be provided for those
we know who call the office and ask for it.) |
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Matt Shanks (’99), father of 1st Grader
Josh Shanks, was promoted to manage a department at the new Best
Buy Silver Lake store on 288 at FM 518 in Pearland. The store
opens on November 5. Matt is currently working at the Fairway
Plaza location in Pasadena. Go by and congratulate him. |
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Haley Goerner (’02) was accepted in the
nursing program at San Jacinto College where she began classes
last month. |
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Jason Richie (’02) is scheduled to
complete his Associates Degree from San Jacinto College in
December. He is currently employed by the college in their
technology department. Jason continues to bless Harvest by
assisting with our technology needs and in many other areas. He
is a gifted glazier and, like his father, we have discovered
that Jason is a jack-of-all-trades. |
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Michael Bishop (’00) is continuing his
studies in technology at San Jac and will graduate in December
with several certifications and an Associates Degree. He plans
to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. |
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Steve Ybarra (’01) is a senior at Yale
University, majoring in architecture, and will graduate in May,
2005. He plans to continue his studies in graduate school.
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Kristen Gauthier (’02) is working at Chase
Bank in Pasadena and attending classes at San Jac. We understand
that Kristen and Kristee Garsee (’00) got a good deal on
airline tickets and took a weekend trip to England this past
summer. |
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Juan Betancourt (’04) is taking
pre-pharmacy classes at San Jac. |
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Paul Pavlov (’98), a native of Bulgaria,
is a graduate of the University of Houston, and he is employed
as a construction superintendent. |
Sarah Hazel (’94) and her husband own and
manage Pasadena Bail Bonds. Sarah
not only is a part of the Houston Symphony as a violinist but
also competes in local and national marathons. |
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Bradley Conner (’04) shared in a recent
chapel service about his summer mission trip to Africa. He will
be assisting with the children/youth ministry at World Harvest
Outreach Church (in the chapel of HCA each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Alumni who miss school chapel times are especially invited to
come!). |
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Aulona Hila (’96) graduated in 2002 from
the University of Houston with a B.S. in Political Science. She
is pursuing studies in the teacher certification program at the
University of Houston. We were honored to have her speak to the
Jr. and Senior Bible class recently. Aulona is from Albania. |
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Julie Smith (’00) graduated from Baylor
University in May. |
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Josh Henderson (’00) is an airline pilot
and, in fact, is training others to fly. We enjoy hearing from
alumni. |
Following is an e-mail greeting we recently
received from Kari Beckworth Castillo (’99):
Hello Harvest:
I wanted to take a few moments to say hello to Sister Gehret and
the staff. I often think of the school and how much of a HUGE
impact it had on my life. If only I would have known while I was
there. I could have taken more advantage of the opportunities
offered! Since 1999 I have been working steadily. I have been
working as an accounts payable clerk, and have been attending
San Jacinto College to pursue a career as a nurse. On January 2,
2004, I married a very great man, and now I have two beautiful
stepchildren. None of my own yet. My husband is an ex-Marine and
now serves in the army National Guard out at Ellington Field. We
just recently had a home built in the Baytown area. I want to
thank the staff and school (former and current) for all that
they do. Even though some students may not realize the
importance and great blessing the school is now, they will once
they have gotten on with the realities of life. I feel that the
school helped me to excel in a lot of areas, and also taught me
how to deal with some of the toughest times in life. Through
allowing the staff to work under God’s direction, they have
blessed
many, many lives. I would like to be added to your e-mail list
of events and if I can help in any way I would be more than
happy to. |
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Elecia Varnell (’00) graduated from the University of
Houston Clear Lake in May, 2004, with a Bachelor’s degree in
Finance. She is currently employed as a research assistant for
the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Elecia
said, “We work on grants for cancer research and education. I
am hoping this opportunity will lead to fulltime employment
either here or somewhere similar.” |
Sarah Wilcox (’00) wed Nick Woodruff in a beautiful
ceremony at Horseshoe Bay on June 26, 2004. The newlyweds
just returned from a Caribbean cruse and a trip to New York
City. They reside in Cypress, Texas. . |
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On July 10, 2004, Kara Patterson (’98) became the bride
of Jeremy Woodley in The Woodlands, Texas. |
Isaac Hiriart (’03) will graduate with an Associates
Degree in International Business in December, 2004. He sends
greetings to the student body and staff and said that he looks
forward to visiting HCA during his next break. |
Bradley Conner (’04) and Shawn Johns (’04) have been in
Africa for the past month ministering to the people of
Zimbabwe and ministering to the lost and sick in the bush of
Africa. They are living in tents, learning the language,
helping doctors and pharmacists. They have helped set up youth
camps and they are serving as youth leaders.
They are expected to return to the U.S. in mid-August. Please
keep them in your prayers. |
Shay Cathey (’97) lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and
it was good to hear from him. He said that after graduating
from HCA, he worked in construction for a year then joined the
Navy. He went to boot camp in 1998, and from there he went to
aviation electrician school. After his training he spent the
next four years at HS-11 (helicopter squadron). Now he is on
shore duty and works on generators. He has been in the Navy
for six years and plans to make a career of it. Shay bought a
house in a historic part of town last year, and on October 16,
2004, he is going to marry a nurse. They met in Jacksonville,
but she is a Texas native.
Update 2006: is now
stationed in Seattle, Washington and is currently in the Pacific
on the U.S.S. Lincoln. He married Sara in October 2005 and they
bought a house in Washington. He will be out on tour for 6
months and will return sometime in September. |
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Brandi Poage (’00) is living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and
she is employed by The Adam’s Mark Hotel. She is considering
going to college in Tulsa in the fall semester. |
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Congratulations to Creshawn DeWalt (’00). She will
receive a B.S. in Sports Medicine with a specialization in
Pre-Health Professional Curricula from Pepperdine University
in Malibu, California, on May 1, 2004. Creshawn plans to take
a year off from studies and will be applying for medical
school. |
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Lisa Hoffpauir (’00)
received a $1,000 scholarship for
the fall semester of 2004. She will do her student teaching
during that time and graduate in December, 2004, with a degree
in Elementary Education from Southern Nazarene University in
Bethany, Oklahoma. |
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Laura Devlin (’00) will graduate from Houston Baptist
University in May. She plans to take a year off and then
pursue a degree plan that will enable her to become a
Physician’s Assistant. |
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Eric Pertl (’00) will graduate on May 15, 2004, from
Southern Nazarene University with a B.S. degree in Business
Management. |
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Marissa Gonzalez (’03)
just completed her first year at
Oral Roberts University where she is working on a degree in
evangelism. This summer, as director of the ministry dance
team at her church, she will be preparing special
presentations and touring. |
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Jennifer Beck (’03), Deborah Devlin (’03), Jessica Hidalgo
(’03), and Angela Stephens (’03), are completing their
first year of studies at San Jacinto College. Deborah attends
the San Jac South campus and the others are at Central.
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MESSAGE FROM MIKE RITTHALER (“COACH RITT”), former HCA
principal and teacher: Hello all! Greetings from the cold
state of Wisconsin. I was told about Leroy’s death and I have
been getting e-mails from former students and one of them had
your website as a link, so I checked it out and I was excited
t see all that was happening at Harvest. Sometimes my wife and
I wish we were still there, but God knows what He is doing and
we trust that He knows what’s best. Our prayers are with you
as you endeavor to touch the hearts and minds of each and
every student that passes through your doors. In Christ, Mike
(e-mail: mnritt@mwt.net) |
 Tricia Bentley (Rudisill), class of 1993, will receive
her Master of Arts in Communications degree on May 15, 2004
from Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX.
Tricia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from SFA
in 1998 and has been working in the field of Public Relations
and Marketing for nearly six years. She and her husband, Tim
Bentley, are currently seeking to move back to the Houston
area. |
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Cassandra Valk (’99) I graduated from the University of
Houston with a Bachelors degree in Political Science last
December. I have been accepted into multiple law schools for
the fall, but have yet to decide on where to go. Becoming a
lawyer has been a life long dream of mine, so needless to say
my family and I are very excited. I am working full time at a
Houston based law firm and I’m in the process of planning my
July wedding. |
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Yolanda Martinez (’01) sent greetings from Oral Roberts
University in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she is a junior studying
international business. |
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Congratulations to Lisa Hoffpauir (’00) and
Eric
Pertl (’00) for making the Dean’s List at Southern
Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma last semester. They
are seniors. Lisa is majoring in education and Eric is a
business major. |
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Jason Fortenberry (’00)
attended Texas Bible Institute
for two years. At Lakewood Church he served as assistant to
the single’s pastor before becoming part of the media
production team. We are looking forward to having Jason speak
to our students in chapel before the end of the semester.
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Raul Valdes (’99) will graduate from LaTourneau
University this May with a B.S. in Engineering. He attended
Harvest for one year, like Yolanda mentioned above and “our”
Tatiana Castaneda who is a current senior, from our sister
school, Josue Christian, in El Salvador. Raul has served as
student body president for the past two years at LaTourneau.
He wrote us a letter and we are blessed to share it,
here. Raul
writes about a possible future as a politician. We rather
think he will end up being a statesman! May God bless the
nation of El Salvador and use Raul to the glory and honor of
Christ Jesus |
We recently heard from Mihails Zotovs, known to us as “Misha.”
He graduated from our school in 2002 as an international
student from Latvia. He attended college in Texas for awhile
but has returned to his native Latvia and will further his
studies in Europe. We also heard from Nonna Abazian of
Armenia. Nonna is a 1997 graduate of HCA. She wrote:
“I really hope and pray that everything is all right at HCA,
because for me it
was not just a school but a home! I miss you all very much!
Special thanks to Sister Gehret and everyone for you are so
wonderful and your care for exchange students is of great
value!!!!” |
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Jenny Orand (’95) is taking nursing classes at
Galveston Community College. |
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Melissa DeLaFuente (’03), a freshman at Central
Christian College in McPherson, Kansas, made the Dean’s Honor
Roll with a 3.30 GPA on a 4.0 scale. She is a freshman
business management major. |
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Carma Pena (’00), a senior at Oral Roberts University,
is planning to go to Mexico this summer as part of the ORU
Missions team. Likewise, Rafael Sans (’03), a freshman
at ORU, will be going to serve on the mission field in the
Czech Republic. Those who want to support their efforts with a
financial gift, may mail a tax-deductible check to “ORU
Missions,” Oral Roberts University, 7777 South Lewis, Tulsa,
Oklahoma, 74171. Be sure and put the student’s name on the
memo line of your check to assure proper credit. |
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2003 Homecoming Sweetheart, Marissa Gonzalez ('03) and
Cavalier Kraig Garsee ('03), participated in this
year's Homecoming Court. They presented the new sweetheart and
cavalier with their trophies. Marissa is attending Oral
Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Kraig is an Aggie
at Texas A&M University as he pursues his goal of becoming a
nuclear engineer. |
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Angela Stephens ('03) happily spent her $250 gift
certificate to Academy that she won in the Star fishing
tournament sponsored by CCA last year. She placed second
runner-up in the Sheephead division. Angela just completed her
first semester at San Jacinto Central. She is majoring in
medical imaging. |
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Eric Pertl ('00) and
Jeremy Roach ('00) went to
Hawaii in January. They just returned to cold Oklahoma City to finish another year at
Southern Nazarene University. |
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Kara Patterson ('98) received her Bachelor of Music
degree in Music Education in Piano on December 13,
2003, from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. We
rejoice with Kara and her family on this wonderful
accomplishment! |
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Emil Martinez ('93) has been doing security work for
the government at NASA and elsewhere. He is a police officer
with the City of Hempstead and a firefighter with the CyFair
Fire Department. He is married and is expecting his firstborn,
Joshua Andrew, on April 14, 2004. Congratulations Emil! |
| We are very proud of our Alumni and want to
feature your accomplishments since your time at Harvest.
Please let us know how you are doing and if we may feature
your story here or send us your photo for our
alumni gallery! Email |
